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manta rays swimming in the shallow ocean with coral
Fort Myers, FL

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for Tightening Protections for Listed Species

Defenders of Wildlife welcomes today’s action by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to end open permitting for the capture of ESA-threatened marine species in Florida waters for public display and exhibition purposes.
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NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.
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sage grouse in snow at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Washington, D.C.

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction.

Press Releases

Washington Governor Calls for Emergency Orca Task Force

Today, Governor Jay Inslee, joined by tribal and conservation leaders from across the region, issued an executive order outlining near- and long-term actions the state
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Panther
Tallahassee, FL

At Long Last, Florida Forever Program Can Help Wildlife

The Florida legislature has agreed to appropriate $100.8 million to land conservation programs that will protect and restore wildlife habitat in the state. This includes $77 million for the Florida Forever land acquisition program.
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Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

President Trump Moves to Sell Oil Leases in Arctic Refuge in 2019

Department of the Interior officials stated today that the administration will initiate planning this month to lease the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife
Washington, DC

Senate Democrats Release Infrastructure Plan with Environmental Safeguards, Modernization

Today, Senate Democrats offered a comprehensive plan to modernize our nation’s infrastructure that retains environmental protections and includes provisions to protect threatened and endangered species

Sullivan Hopes to Lease the Arctic Refuge by 2019

Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska wants to see the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge put up for sale in 2019 – two
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
Communications Director
mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217
Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268